Display a Start Up Message in Windows XP before logging in.

Before someone logs into your machine a message can be displayed. This is meant to inform you that you are being monitored or you are bound by some formal code of conduct.

You can use it to display a message in your absence to remind your buddies you are an all knowing Admin. You can do it pretty easily by displaying what Microsoft refers to as a legal notice at system start up.

GO TO RUN

REGEDIT

Navigate to [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\policies\system]

Change legalnoticecaption”=”Legal Notice“

legalnoticetext=”AskTheAdmin is watching you.”

obviously you can replace Legal notice or AskTheAdmin is watching you with any text you want. The editors over here are pretty sure you can find someFunnyPractical uses for this on your, or a public, PC…

I think best practice is to do this through the local policy snap-in rather than edit the registry. Run secpol.msc – and go to local policies, security options, and its about halfway down, under interactive logon

You can also use group policy as long as you aren't using a 'home' version Windows OS. Start -> Run. Type 'gpedit.msc' Computer Configuration -> Windows Settings -> Security Settings -> Local Policies -> Security Options. You should see two fields here: Interactive Logon: Message text for users attempting to logon Interactive Logon: Message title for users attempting to logon